Weigh-In 61

Spiritual gifts seem to be getting a lot of discussion time lately. My church is undertaking an effort to go online with a set of tools to help people identify and use their gifts and talents. I've seen several web sites and books that are designed for this purpose as well. I've also heard a couple of messages in the past few weeks from pastors covering the topic.

The one that stood out to me the most was from Jeff Henderson who is a campus pastor for NorthPoint in Atlanta (he's out at Buckhead usually). In a sermon series about understanding God's plan for our lives, Jeff talks about "God's thumbprints on our lives." I think that is a very interesting way of talking about the talents and abilities that God has created us with.

Just talking about someone's abilities or even "God given talents" doesn't personalize it like the idea of having individual and unique marks placed on us by the our creator. I have these thumbprints and fingerprints on me where God personally and individually held me and made me for a purpose. He intentionally gave me the abilities I have. I didn't get them by happenstance or the roll of some dice (was that a Dungeons & Dragons reference?).

I am who I am because I was created to be that way. Now, I may behave in a way other than in a way for which I was created. That is different than who I am and was create to be. But, when I look for God's thumbprints, I see the clues to who I am supposed to be and to what God's plan is for me. And, personally, I feel the love of from a parent and not the detachment of just "something created somewhere".

What are the "thumbprints" God has put on you and how are they clues to His plan for your life?

Speaking of who I am and who I am becoming, I weighed in this morning after running 3.5 miles. Really didn't think I would get to that distance when I started running a few months ago. Not the fastest guy on the block right now but faster will happen.

Anyway I stepped on the scale and saw

217.5

I'm closing in on the end of year goal (210lbs) so that we can maximize the contributions and pledges that you all have made. At present we have $420 in pledges/donations here. That gets matched for another $420. We have $315 from the Birthday Wish donations. And finally the $274 from the 80-60-40 campaign. That's $1429 that y'all have helped raise for Love146.

Awesome. Thank you for your support and encouragement. Now to bring it on home....

Photo credit to fazen.